Princess Theatre (Woolloongabba) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba |
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Structure in 2015
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| Location | 8 Annerley Road, Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1888 |
| Architect | John Beauchamp Nicholson |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Princess Theatre, South Brisbane Public Hall/Boggo Road Theatre | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600353 |
| Significant period | 1888 (fabric) 1888–1949, 1942–1945, 1985–ongoing (historical, social) |
| Significant components | foyer – entrance, stage/sound shell, dress circle, foyer – dress circle, proscenium arch |
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The Princess Theatre is a very old theatre building in Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by an architect named John Beauchamp Nicholson and built in 1888. Over the years, it has also been known as the South Brisbane Public Hall and the Boggo Road Theatre. This historic building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992 because it's an important part of Queensland's history.
Contents
The Princess Theatre: A Journey Through Time
Early Days: Building a Community Hub
This large brick building was constructed in 1888. It was built for a well-known lawyer from Brisbane, Phillip Hardgrave, and a group called the South Brisbane Public Hall Syndicate. They started a company in 1890.
Building the theatre was a smart idea because the areas around South Brisbane were growing fast. People needed a central place for public meetings, talks, dances, and shows. In 1887, Hardgrave bought the land. He then hired architect John Beauchamp Nicholson to design the hall. A builder named Blair Cunningham built it the next year. It cost about £5,220, which was a lot of money back then!
In its first few years, the hall had different names. It was called the South Brisbane Public Hall from 1888 to 1891. Then, from 1892 to 1904, it was known as the Boggo Road Theatre.
In 1893, the theatre's ownership went to Hardgrave's father, John Hardgrave. He used to be the mayor of Brisbane and was a big investor in the theatre company. During the 1890s, the building was used for plays, variety shows, and even as a skating rink. However, it wasn't a major theatre venue in Brisbane yet. The South Brisbane Hall Company closed down in 1895.
From 1894, the Salvation Army started using the theatre. They officially leased it in 1896.
New Owners and New Uses
In 1899, a Brisbane clothing store owner named Thomas Finney bought the property. He used the theatre as a clothing factory. Even so, the stage was still rented out for occasional performances. In 1902, he rented the building to a retail clothing company. From 1907, a businessman named John Burke Dent leased it and also set up a clothing factory there. In 1909, a big fire damaged the theatre's walls and ceiling.
Thomas Finney passed away in 1903. The property eventually went to Finney Isles and Company. They sold it to John Dent in 1912. Dent then rented space to Thomas Hall for a clothing workshop. This workshop was in a separate building behind the theatre from 1912 to 1938. Later, a movie company called West's Pictures leased the theatre. They renamed it The Princess. In 1914, a Brisbane lawyer, Herbert Brealy Hemming, bought the theatre. He owned it until he died in 1942. Wests ran the theatre until 1925, but it continued to show movies after that.
A Home for Arts and Entertainment
In the 1930s, new amateur theatre groups in Brisbane started performing at the Princess. These included the Brisbane Repertory Theatre (now called La Boite Theatre Company), Brisbane Arts Theatre, and the Twelfth Night Theatre Company.
From 1942 to 1945, during World War II, the theatre was used by the United States Entertainment Unit. It was their main office and rehearsal space. After the war, many community groups rented it. These included ballet schools, college shows, and scout troops.
From Storage to Stage: A New Chapter
From 1949 to 1985, the building was no longer used for performances. It was rented out to different small businesses. These included a paper seller, an engineering company, and shops selling used items. The stage area was rented separately to a printing company for over thirty years.
In 1985, a company called REMM Group Ltd bought the property. They fixed up the outside of the building. They then offered the TN! Theatre Company a ten-year lease starting in 1986. TN! Theatre Company fixed up the inside of the theatre. However, due to money problems, TN!'s last show was in 1991.
From 2001, the Metro Central Community Church (now LifeCity Church) leased the theatre. They bought it in 2003. The church used the theatre for their services and other events. They also rented it out for plays, weddings, and other gatherings.
In 2020, the Church decided to move to a new location and put the Princess Theatre up for sale. It was bought that year by new owners: businessman Steve Wilson and the owners of The Tivoli, Steve and Dave Sleswick. They renovated the theatre to make it a place for live music and arts. The first concert in the newly renovated theatre was in August 2021. The venue officially opened in October 2021.
What Does the Princess Theatre Look Like?
The Princess Theatre is a two-story brick building. It faces Annerley Road on the west side. There are narrow paths on either side and at the back. The building has three roof sections. The front part has a special type of roof called a mansard roof. The main auditorium and backstage areas have hipped corrugated iron roofs. These roofs have raised sections in the middle for ventilation, which helps air move through the building.
Outside the Theatre: A Grand View
The front of the building, facing west, looks very fancy and balanced. It has a strong classical design. The main entrance has a porch with two corner columns. These columns stand on square bases. Above them is a decorative band called an entablature with a laurel leaf pattern. The entrance has double wooden doors and a curved window above with colored glass.
On the ground floor, there's a shop window on each side of the entrance. These windows have wide, arched openings framed by flat columns called pilasters and another decorative band. The first floor has a verandah with a rendered balustrade (a row of small columns). It also has columns, an entablature, and arched panels with decorative keystones. The top of this front wall has a balustrade between column tops, which are topped with spheres. In the middle, there's a curved top part called a pediment with more laurel leaf patterns. The mansard roof rises behind this.
The other three sides of the building are made of plain brick. The bricks on the ground floor are darker. There's a low wall at the top called a parapet wall. The building has wooden walkways along the north and south sides. Double wooden doors and windows with fanlights open from the auditorium onto these walkways.
Inside the Theatre: Exploring the Spaces
The entrance area, called the foyer, has a sloping floor that leads to the auditorium. There's a central wooden staircase that goes up to the gallery level and the first-floor offices. The walls have been covered and marked to look like stone blocks. A new ceiling with modern lights has been added. Doors open from the foyer to the shops on either side. The landing of the stairs has carved wooden balusters (staircase railings) that are older than the current stairs.
You enter the main auditorium under the gallery, also known as the dress circle. The landing above is held up by two cast iron columns. The sloping gallery itself is supported by four wooden posts. The underside of the gallery has pressed metal sheeting for decoration. A kitchen and bar area has been built here. It is separated from the main auditorium by an open wall.
The auditorium has brick walls with rendered pilasters and a decorative cornice (a molding along the top of a wall). It also has wooden architraves (frames around doors or windows), a dado (a decorative panel on the lower part of a wall), and wood panels below. The ceiling is curved at the corners. It has wooden panels running in different directions. The central part of the ceiling has two decorative roses with cast iron grates for ventilation. The proscenium arch, which frames the stage, has rendered pilasters and an entablature with a laurel leaf pattern.
The backstage area is painted black. A high walkway runs around the edges, and a stair in the southeast corner leads to the basement. The basement has a concrete floor. It contains a central storage or performance space. There are dressing rooms to the north and an office area to the south. All these areas have outside access.
The first floor has offices that open onto the west verandah. Toilets are located behind these offices, accessed from the top of the stairs. The gallery is reached from the landing and has six rows of tiered seating, like steps.
Why is the Princess Theatre Special?
The Princess Theatre was listed on the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it's recognized as a very important historical place. Here's why:
A Glimpse into Queensland's Past
The Princess Theatre shows how Woolloongabba and South Brisbane grew into important city areas in the 1880s. It helps us understand the history of Queensland.
A Rare and Beautiful Building
This theatre is especially important because it's the only 19th-century theatre in Brisbane that is still mostly original. It's rare to find such an old theatre still standing and showing what a large brick theatre from that time looked like.
Important for Art and Community
The Princess Theatre is valued by the Brisbane community. People appreciate its beautiful and detailed front facade and its simpler, yet elegant, interior design. It also adds to the look of the Clarence Corner area and the Woolloongabba townscape.
The theatre has a strong connection to Brisbane's theatre scene, both for amateur and professional groups. It also has a special link to the architect John Beauchamp Nicholson, as it's a great example of his work on commercial buildings.
